American Boy

NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD is set to open its first US store at the start of 2012. The 1,500-square-foot flagship will be located in New York at 807 Washington Street, reports WWD. It will be the British footwear designer's second standalone store after launching his debut in London earlier this May.

"The US has become our biggest market over recent years and continues to grow seasonally," Kirkwood told us today. "We also have some very loyal New York-based customers, and a presence of a retail location in New York will help continue build the brand awareness in the US market, which makes it a logical next step for the brand. As a shoe brand, it is difficult to project an image as we don't/can't do a runway show, but by having a shop we can create - what I see - as an ideal environment for the collection to be presented in.

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"We looked at many spaces from uptown to downtown, but chose this space on Washington Street which is on the cusp between the West Village and Meatpacking District. It's a great area with the West Village being an affluent residential area and Meatpacking District being a lively area of restaurants, shops and hotels. Also, the Whitney Museum is being built diagonally opposite which is due to open in a couple years and will add even more reason to visit the area."

Kirkwood won the Swarovski Emerging Talent for Accessories prize in 2008, followed by three nominations for the British Fashion Awards, including Accessory Designer of the Year in 2009 and 2010.